Consumer electronic devices are commonly remotely controlled through the use of coded infrared signals. However, the remote controls for these devices typically require a line of sight between the user and the electronic device.
Modem homes contain multiple consumer electronic devices that can benefit from interconnection to other electronic devices in the home, for example, displaying the output of a DVD player located in a living room on a television located in a bedroom. As the number of interoperable electronic devices in the home environment increases, the need arises for a way to control all of the electronic devices in the household remotely and to allow the devices to interact remotely.
A problem encountered when attempting to control multiple electronic devices remotely is that the infrared signal must travel from room to room if the user is in a different room from the device or if multiple devices in different rooms need to be controlled simultaneously. In the past, this problem has been addressed by broadcasting signals and using repeaters to boost the signals in order to reach devices located in a different room from the infrared signal transmitter. Drawbacks to this method include: infrared noise from the environment interfering with the commanded signal, difficulty differentiating between devices of the same make and model, and difficulties arising when more than one user tries to share the same device. In addition, using repeaters for communicating with multiple electronic devices located in more than two rooms creates a broadcast environment where signals feedback and interfere with each other. To accommodate flexibility in accessing and controlling multiple electronic devices, a new apparatus and method is needed for the distribution and reproduction of infrared signals to control remote electronic devices within a home network.